My Valet Kit
by WizMonCruWil
Summary: "And then his lips were on hers, and his tongue was in her mouth. The words died a peaceful death in her throat. And before Elsa could think, her fingers were woven into his hair and she was groaning in a very un-Queen like way..." I wanted to write a story about Elsa falling in love with one of her servants. Please, enjoy!
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

"No. We'll protect her. She can learn to control it, I'm sure," the King of Arendelle promised Grand Pabbie. "Until then, lock the gates. We'll reduce the staff. We will limit her contact with people and keep her powers hidden from everyone - including Anna."

Despite the King's strong statements, there was a distinct difference between giving these directives and actually carrying them out. In order to... accommodate Elsa's ice powers, any staff who was not essential was let go.

Among the staff who could not be so easily let go was a young servant boy named Kit. A peer of Elsa, he had been hired at the tender age of 4 to serve the eldest Princess as a page. In the several years since, he had proven his loyalty to Princess Elsa, becoming a friend and placed in a confidence only equal to Elsa's sister, Anna.

Now, the King could have easily relieved Kit of duty if he really wanted to. But two points stopped him. For one thing, someone had to be on hand to serve Elsa whenever she was not in her room (such as at meals). And for another, the King feared the emotional aftermath of such a scenario - not for his daughter, but for Kit. At the very least, he could keep Kit out of Elsa's room as easily as he could keep out Anna. Kit already knew of Elsa's ice powers, and there wasn't exactly a way to wipe a child's memory a second time. Besides, Kit operated with a discretion very much beyond his eight years; there would be no need to haggle with the boy over obtaining and keeping his silence.

* * *

The years passed, and 18-year-old Elsa curtsied for her parents as they prepared to depart Arendelle by ship for a family wedding across the sea in Corona. Her valet and manservant, Kit, stood attentively by her side.

"Do you have to go?" Elsa's fearful eyes searched her father's face.

"You'll be fine, Elsa," the King assured. And he and his wife departed. A crestfallen Elsa felt a hand on her shoulders.

"It's going to be OK." His lips pursed thin in a comforting smile. "You'll see."

Except it wasn't. When the royal couple's ship went down at sea, Kit accompanied Princess Anna to the funeral in Elsa's stead. Upon return to the castle, he let Anna bear news of the service to her sister, knowing his mistress well enough to know that any condolences from him would not be absorbed.

Still, he wished that the eldest Princess's locked door would yield, behind which he was sure would be a weeping snowfall, conjured in grief...


	2. Chapter 1: Viva La Princesa

**Chapter 1: Viva La Princesa**

The castle balcony was awash in a sea of people, all cheering and waving banners. Many women were actually weeping and wailing and falling to their knees in genuflection, overcome with joy over the blessing that had smiled down upon the kingdom of Arendelle.

Princess Anna and Prince Consort Kristoff had just been gifted with a beautiful baby girl. In the three years after the Great Freeze, the couple had married and prayed for a child. At long last, they had gotten their wish. A new heir to the throne had arrived.

Also on the balcony was Queen Elsa, the proud Auntie. She was back by the glassy panes of the balcony doors, not wanting to upstage her sister. This was her and Kristoff's moment. Indeed, as she observed the little family, she could not help but be left breathless at the sight of her little sister holding a baby in her arms. Anna was only 21, and still sometimes looked very much like a girl in her face. Yet that face now glowed as she encouraged the baby to wave a fat little fist for the throng below, reminding Elsa that Anna was now a woman. A mother.

Down in the sea of people, a figure partially scaled a lamppost and roared to make himself heard over the din. From his dialect, Elsa could tell it was a visiting well-wisher from the kingdom of Corona: "_Viva la princesa! Viva la princesa siempre!_ Let the Queen hold her!"

"Yes, yes!" The crowd took up the call. "We want Queen Elsa to hold the child!"

Elsa heard the petition and easily showed her surprise on her face. Besides being a naturally shy person, she had vowed to make herself a background character on this day and not cut into her family's joy. Her head turned back to Kit, who was standing with Kai and Gerda just inside the doorway. Kit dipped his head in deference.

"The people demand it, my Queen. Take the little babe."

Elsa's gaze flitted to Anna, who had turned to her with a beaming smile and was holding her child out to the Queen. Gingerly, Elsa took the infant and cuddled her close, bouncing her. All to easily, a smile crossed the Queen's face. It was like a magic just as powerful as the ice and snow at her command.

Immediately, the bedlam was deafening as the crowd roared its approval. Elsa royally waved in acknowledgment, then almost instinctively turned her attention back to the baby, who had now woken up from the increased cacophony of noise and had begun to cry.

Anna smiled apologetically and Elsa tenderly handed the child back to its mother. The royal family then departed inside. "Joanie needs her nap," Anna trilled. But baby Joan suddenly wailed, and - astonishingly - began reaching for Elsa. Elsa drifted closer, mesmerized and deeply moved; once she was in reach, Joan grabbed for her aunt's pearl necklace and tried to stuff the beads into her mouth.

Elsa laughed. "Joanie!" she giggled. "Behave yourself... go with Mommy for nap time." Grinning gratefully, Anna moved towards the nursery, carrying a squirming Joan all the way. A clearly entranced Kristoff followed, sending a smile of his own in Elsa's direction as he went.

Closing the balcony doors, Elsa smiled weakly in relief at her loyal staff. Kit fell into step beside her as Kai and Gerda dithered on ahead.

"The baby princess has taken quite a shining to you, madame."

"Can't imagine why," Elsa smirked dryly.

"And you are quite natural with her, if I may say. I wager you will make a fine mother yourself one day."

Elsa chuckled, tucking a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. "That is a wager you are likely to lose, Kit. But your sentiment is appreciated."

Kit's eyes twinkled. "Only time will tell, my Queen. Only time will tell."

* * *

The next day, Elsa was locked away in her study, going over treaty documents. The legalese was long and arduous, and she still had to peruse and approve the construction proposal for the new stablehouse. Kristoff had championed it on behalf of the horseman and other workers, and anyway, she owed it to her brother-in-law. Not to mention the ball tonight - the ball to celebrate the little Princess Joan's birth.

It was this last point that was giving the Queen such a headache. Since the moment Joan was born, Elsa had feared that this would be the impetus for her Council, her people, anyone to demand why she had yet to marry or bear a baby of her own. Elsa had evaded the question successfully before, saying she was busy building up Arendelle's reputation, especially after the Great Freeze and Thaw. But now that Anna was a mother... people of influence would demand that she produce an heir. And that meant courting a suitor, one of royal blood. As the first in line for the throne, Anna had been granted leniency in her marriage to Kristoff; Elsa would receive no such leeway. She would not delude herself on that point.

Even if she would look at Anna and Kristoff, now with their daughter, and feel a little... envious. Elsa wanted what they had. If she ever did marry, she wanted it to be for love.

Yet the Council might not see it that way. Elsa sensed that they wanted to broach the issue, but were unsure how to do it. The questions would come any day now - maybe even tonight at the ball.

A knock at the door dislodged Elsa from her thoughts. "Enter," she commanded simply. Kit emerged dutifully, bringing her a tray of tea.

"Does Your Majesty wish to take her tea now?"

Elsa nodded, beckoning him forward silently. Kit placed the tray before her, his eyes on her with a gaze that was clearly concerned.

"Your Majesty... may I speak freely?"

"You may," Elsa granted.

"Something troubles you. My ear is primed for listening, if you wish to confess your troubles."

Elsa sighed. Kit had always been a fine confidant, easy to talk to. Especially about things that would send Anna into a tizzy. And there _were_ some things that Elsa couldn't tell Anna, but that she could tell Kit.

"Oh, it's... the ball tonight. The baby..."

"The little princess? What of her? Is she all right?"

"Healthy and happy," Elsa assured. "It's just that..." she huffed, slumping back in the plush desk chair. "I fear that my Council will soon force me to get married. Have a child of my own. Joan's birth has increased that urgency."

Kit wasn't sure how to respond to that at first, or if there was any way to make it better. "A Queen has her duty," he conceded, choosing his words carefully. "And there is some... merit to the question." Giving up, he decided to be more plain-spoken. Kit had always prided himself on being a plain-speaking man; he spoke as he found. It had taken many years of practice to stifle that instinct in the presence of his Queen, unless she granted her express permission. "Your Majesty - if I may say... you may not have a choice in this process, but you have a choice in its _outcome_." He smiled encouragingly as Elsa tilted her head, considering his words. "If it would ease your mind... I would gladly draw up a list of eligible suitors and screen them myself."

Elsa smiled gratefully. "Oh, Kit, I couldn't possibly..."

"Nonsense. 'Tis a pleasure. I like to think I have a cursory familiarity with Your Majesty's proclivities. Of course, I could leave the final approval up to you."

Elsa squeezed his arm, her eyes relieved. "Thank you, Kit."

"And if I may be so bold..."

"You may," Elsa smiled.

"To further ease your burden... I would be willing to accompany you to tonight's ball." Kit was standing unusually straight, and for the first time since she had known him, appeared nervous.

Elsa blinked in surprise. "Accompany me?"

"It might... keep away any unwanted questions of courting. If only for an evening, which Your Majesty should be spending with your family anyway."

Elsa bobbed her head in thought, mulling of her valet's offer. "Your counsel is most appreciated and astute, Kit. Very well. I accept. You may receive me at my chambers by the hour of six."

Kit smiled and graciously bowed. "Madame, I will."

* * *

"Her Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, in the company of Mr. Kit!" Kai announced that evening. The Queen entered the ballroom on the arm of her valet, and they crossed to the center of the floor to lead off the first dance. Clearly out of his element, Elsa had to guide Kit to take her waist and navigate him through the first steps. "It's just a matter of gliding and pivoting," she explained.

As they waltzed, both of them alternating between glancing at their feet and each other, Elsa admitted, "I don't usually spend time with anyone outside of my family, especially at parties and these functions."

Kit raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Elsa shakily smiled. "Really." Kit twirled her. "Thank you for asking me, Kit."

"Always, madame. I serve at your pleasure."

Elsa did not dance with anyone else all evening. By the end of the night, she felt safe enough in Kit's arms to rest her head on her valet's shoulder.


	3. Chapter 2: Love, Serve and Orders

**Chapter 2: Love, Serve and Orders**

If anyone disturbed her, Elsa could always say that the candlelight weakened her eyes, as she holed herself up in her study late one night.

It had been a complete accident, Anna had kept drilling into her over and over again. Easily forgivable, her sister had said. And she had given her forgiveness readily. Be that as it may, that didn't make Elsa's carelessness OK. But when 5-year-old Joan had come into Auntie's chambers in the middle of the night and begged to build a snowman, Elsa had not had the judgement to refuse her sweet little niece.

Now her niece was asleep in her nursery, safe and sound. But only because a blast of icy magic had missed her tiny body by inches and seconds, as she and Elsa had frolicked in the empty ballroom.

Never mind that the magic had _missed_ \- a point that Kristoff had driven home relentlessly. The fact that it was a near thing had been what disturbed Elsa the most. The icy blast had turned into a slide and caught her niece just in time, but still... if she had cast the magic a second earlier... if Joan had been falling through space even a tick faster...

Elsa could very well have hurt Anna's little girl tonight. No, it was worse than that. She could have...

"I could have hurt _my_ little girl," Elsa whispered, through her weeping. For Joan was like the daughter Elsa might have known, if God had granted her a daughter. Once the flashbacks to Anna's first injury had started - when magic had struck her in the head when she was just Joan's age - Elsa had nearly panicked. Old instincts died hard, and Elsa had found herself fleeing to the refuge of her study and refusing to see anyone, not even Anna and Kristoff. Her family had eventually given up and trudged back to bed, and the servants slept at this late hour. No one would disturb her as she spent the rest of the night in here, sleepless until dawn.

However, Elsa had not counted on one person seeking after her, and one who was not so easily turned away. The Queen may have locked the door, but she should have frozen it - Kit was a rather adept lock-picker, which he proved as he breached her quarters with little difficulty.

"When my Queen cries, then I come," he told her resolutely, expecting her to order that he leave her in peace. "Oh, milady... is there anything I can do? What happened?"

Elsa recounted the incident with Joan in a rush, pouring out her grief and trauma. But what moved her towards tears the most was the way Anna had been so quick to brush it off. Perhaps Elsa shouldn't have been so surprised. Love did not appear to have its limits with her baby sister.

"Her Highness loves you, Your Majesty," Kit soothed. "Surely you must know this."

Elsa found herself staring at a prized picture of her and Anna mounted on her desk. The sisters were laughing together on Anna's wedding day, Kristoff in the background wearing a sardonic smirk. "I don't deserve such love, never mind her forgiveness. Sometimes, it feels like she is the only one who loves me."

"You speak rashly, my Queen," Kit boldly stated. "There are others who love you. The Prince Consort -"

Elsa shook her head. "Kristoff is supposed to love me. If he didn't, Anna would surely divorce him first before denying me."

Kit took issue with this prediction but chose not to pursue it. "The little princess..."

"Doesn't know any better," Elsa expressed sadly. "She will learn, though. She probably learned tonight. Truth comes to us all in our time, in our turn." Kit really didn't know what to say to that, and Elsa didn't bother to elaborate on what she meant. Perhaps she felt she didn't have to.

"And what of me, my Queen?" Kit's voice was soft.

"You're supposed to love me. You serve me."

There it was again - that for some, love was given merely because it was required of them, out of family obligation or some other duty. If Elsa hadn't been in such agony herself, she may have noticed the hurt in Kit's eyes. But this was soon replaced by a challenging gaze, as Kit circled the desk and approached closer. "You really think that's all?"

Elsa raised her eyes to his and finally noticed the new, smoldering look there. Her face flushed. "Well... yes," she chirped. "It's more loyalty than anything else, it's..."

And then his lips were on hers, and his tongue was in her mouth. The words died a peaceful death in her throat. And before Elsa could think, her fingers were woven into his hair and she was groaning in a very un-Queen like way.

After several moments, Kit released her, his breath hovering warm on her face. "I serve you because I love you." The reversal was both lost and not lost on Elsa. And then, seeming to remember himself for the first time, Kit deliberately stepped back, bowed and attempted to take his leave. He wasn't even around the desk when he heard:

"I don't believe I dismissed you," the words sounded strangled and breathless, coming from the Queen - adjectives which didn't fit her at all. "I also believe you don't want to disobey me. You would do well not to defy me."

Crossing to him in one stride, Elsa slung one arm over Kit's shoulder and boldly kissed him again. Kissed him back. The Queen and her valet quickly became very involved, Elsa gently seating herself on the edge of her desk as Kit ravished her mouth. Their limbs wound about each other and they pulled each other closer still. After several long moments, they broke apart, panting for air.

"All right," Elsa breathed. "No more kissing. Rest. I must... rest." Her face flushed and her mind in a fog, she squirmed out from around Kit and turned away. Taking that as his cue to leave, Kit departed. And by the time Elsa gathered her courage and made to call him back, he had gone.

* * *

All through the rest of that night, in her chambers, Elsa felt like she did not close her eyes. Not since Kit had pressed his lips against her own... And yet, when she rose from her bed, she felt oddly restful in body, as if she had been sleeping without realizing she had fallen asleep.

It was her mind that refused to calm.

Long before the rest of her family had risen, Elsa was awake and dressed and pacing amongst the palace gardens. Her feet eventually carried her to the stablehouse; Elsa briefly recalled her need to approve the proposed blueprints for it. Stealing inside, Elsa greeted Sven with a carrot and a tentative pat on the head. She wished someone could do the same for her. Her head and her heart were spinning ever since Kit had...

The horses stabled beside Sven served as a good distraction, as she passed by each stall, giving a greeting and gentle hello to each one. And still, Elsa's thoughts swirled - all of Kit.

It was as if her mind had summoned him. For just then, Elsa heard the lean door pulled to and early morning sunlight stream in. She turned, perhaps expecting to see Kristoff (her brother-in-law had always been early to rise), but instead she saw -

"Kit." His name was like a whispered prayer. Her face blanched.

Kit froze a few steps into the stablehouse, then cautiously approached until he was beside Elsa. "I... came to water your horse," gesturing to Elsa's sleek white mare in the stall behind her.

Elsa looked at the ground and stood aside. "Quench her thirst, then." Only she didn't seem to be talking only about her horse.

"Yes, Madame." Kit moved to complete the task. That done, he turned to her, ready at attention. "Your orders, ma'am?"

"Please fetch my saddle," Elsa got out. "I may ride later."

"Yes, Madame." Kit readied the saddle, then settled by her side again. "Your orders, ma'am?"

Hang it all!

"Your orders are to shut up and kiss me." Elsa snapped, spinning to face him. Kit gawped.

"Your Majesty...?"

Elsa placed her hands on her hips. "Does your Queen stutter? Kiss me, Kit - that's an order! I order you to kiss m- Mmmmm..." The last word faded as Kit yanked Elsa into his arms and kissed her senseless. Elsa practically leapt into his arms and enthusiastically returned it.

Kit held Elsa's hips and lightly thrust against her. His left hand wandered down and squeezed the Queen's buttocks. "I love how you moan so sweetly for me, Majesty."

"Oh, Kit!" Elsa yanked his face back to hers. Their lips crashed together and both groaned into each other's mouths.

"Hmm..." Elsa moaned louder when Kit pushed a leg between her own and began to grind in earnest. He undid the strap of her dress so that it fell away from the bodice down. In perfect harmony, Elsa twirled her hand so that the rest of it faded away.

"Wrap your legs around me," Kit hissed into her mouth. The Queen obeyed, folding her thighs about his torso. He grabbed her arse cheeks to hold her up and squeezed tightly.

"You're so lovely, my cruel beauty..."

"Oh, Kit, fill me, please!"

Kit chuckled. "My queen commands, so I obey. As you wish." And still kissing, the couple fell back into a mound of hay.

And then Kit entered Elsa, thrusting hard, plunging his tongue down her throat in time with the thrusting of his hips.

Elsa's eyes were closed. "Just keep going... please..."

"No... no... I'm not ready..."

But Elsa egged him on. "Come on, Kit, faster..."

Kit thrust in wild abandon. "Now - I'm..."

He came all around her, and she around him.

* * *

Fine Ice Master and Deliverer he turned out to be! Overslept on the first day of the summer harvesting season. The warmth of Anna's arms was too alluring. Shrugging his parka on, Kristoff stole into the stablehouse as quietly and yet as quickly as he could; he did not want to wake the horses. He greeted Sven silently with a scratch behind the ears, too tired to voice the reindeer's thoughts. And a good thing too, because otherwise his presence would have been alerted to.

Instead, Kristoff heard a moan. One that clearly didn't come from Sven.

No. It was a voice - a woman's.

"Oh my..."

"Oh, yessss..."

Again, something between a whimper and a wail. "Oh, _myyyyyyyy_..."

"Oh, yesssss..."

"Mmmm... Hmmmm... Uhhhh... Oh! Kit!"

Kristoff wasn't sure what made him peek over the top of Sven's stall, but when he did, he wished he hadn't.

His sister-in-law and her valet were literally rolling around in the hay, their limbs intertwined, their lips smacking and fused together. Kit was thrusting into Elsa like a giant, uncontrollable beast, wriggling on top of her. Dapples of sunlight made the sweat on their joined, undulating bodies glisten. Their mouths came together in a gentle give and take, even as their bodies came together in a... not so gentle give and take.

Kristoff wanted to respect Elsa's privacy and yet could not bear to look away. Oh, thank Arendelle his little girl could not see her precious Auntie now. Slipping Sven a carrot, Kristoff fled from the stablehouse as softly as he dared, waiting until the coast was clear and the Queen halted her lovemaking with her paramour. Only then did the mountain man take his animal companion out for the day's run.


	4. Chapter 3: More People Like You

**Chapter 3: More People Like You**

The gag reflex scratched at Elsa's throat as she retched over the toilet. The bile had finished coming up and been expelled about ten minutes ago, and yet the Queen still felt like she wanted to spew her insides.

This was the third such morning in a row that Elsa had awoken in her chambers and immediately had to make a mad dash to the toilet. After the first morning, she had chalked it up to something she ate at dinner - her appetite was more refined than her sister Anna's, and there were plenty more foods that didn't agree with her. Anna, by contrast, could eat almost anything. Elsa now smirked, amused as a memory surfaced.

Except for all those cravings Anna had when she was...

_Pregnant_. The dizzying idea fell into Elsa's head with no warning. Gulping, eyes wide, she drew a hand protectively across her abdomen, hugging herself. She dared a glance down. Her stomach still looked healthy and flat, but that didn't mean that a growing, little person was not already squirming around inside her. It had been more than a week since she and Kit had made wild love in the stablehouse. And a couple days since that late-night romp in her study. And just last evening, Kit had taken her behind one of the castle's biggest tapestries. When Elsa realized later that said tapestry had been the one depicting Joan of Arc - the namesake for her precious niece - she nearly died of shame.

Elsa had never felt this way about anyone before, other than Anna or Joan. And, yes, Kristoff - when he wasn't talking in his annoying reindeer voice or depleting the castle of all its carrots. Sometimes she couldn't believe this was really happening. She was sleeping with her manservant. She had _slept_ with her _manservant_ \- multiple times. A romantic relationship like this was scary and new, but also incredibly exhilarating and fulfilling. But now... if a child had indeed resulted from this union - a union that was still a secret, as far as she was aware - how would she tell Kit?

How would she tell Arendelle...?

A distant knock on her chamber doors shook her from her thoughts. "Your Majesty? Queen Elsa?"

"Yes?"

"Sorry to wake you," Kai preemptively apologized.

"No, no, you didn't - I've been up for hours..." For it was true. She had.

Kai must have heard something in her voice, or sensed she was all the way in the bathroom from the way it carried, for he then asked, "May I ask if Your Majesty has taken ill? Are you unwell?"

"No," Elsa lied, finally rising to her feet, exiting the bathroom and crossing to her front door. She poked her head out to better address Kai.

"I just wanted to remind you that your meeting with the Council is in an hour," Kai reported. "Of course, if Your Majesty is under the weather, we can postpone it..."

"No," Elsa cut across him. "I shall receive them. But thank you, Kai. I appreciate your concern."

An hour later, Elsa was seated at the head of the long conference table in the Treaty Room, her council of advisors surrounding her. Kit posted himself beside the door, ready to cater to his Queen's every whim. _And now it really is every whim_, Elsa thought to herself, her face growing hot. She resisted the urge to fan herself, especially after Kit sent her a very affectionate smile. She grinned weakly back as the Prime Minister called the meeting to order.

"Now: first order of business," the Prime Minister scanned over his agenda. "The Council wishes to discuss Her Majesty's future as it relates to... her heir."

Elsa blanched, and under the table, her hand immediately went to cradle her abdomen. She cleared her throat and tried to maintain her composure; off to one side, she could feel Kit's concerned eyes on her.

"What... what are your concerns?" Elsa's voice bobbled far more than she meant it to. It was a stupid question, even she knew it, as her Council looked to each other worriedly.

"Well... that there isn't one. An heir, I mean," the Secretary of State said delicately. "Most urgent, of course, is Your Majesty's reluctance to accept suitors for courting. An heir must be assured... which requires fathering by someone of royal blood."

Elsa resisted the urge to scowl. _What a royal pain_, she thought. She rose with unusual caution to address the whole Council. "Gentlemen: I understand your concerns. I have been... considering the question of my romantic tastes and desire to find such happiness. When I do marry, I want it to be for love - the kind of love seen in my sister's marriage."

The Secretary of the Treasury cleared his throat. "While that is inspiring, Your Majesty, the reality is... courting for love may be no longer possible. You are... getting on in years." He was clearly trying to craft his turn of phrase in the least offensive way possible - and doing a horrible job at it.

"29 is considered getting on in years?" Kit blurted out. "Forgive me, Mr. Secretary, but I'd like to know what Arendelle's elders might think of that!" His quip effectively cut the tension, and though the Secretary of the Treasury appeared miffed that the Queen's valet had spoken out of turn, everyone had a good chuckle. Though even this was strained.

"Nevertheless," the Prime Minister resumed the conversation. "Marrying for political advantage may now be just as important, if not more so, than marrying for love."

If Elsa wasn't insulted by the implication that she was old, she definitely was insulted now. Yes, Arendelle's security was her chief concern, but did that really mean its political interests superseded her desire for love in a matrimonial relationship? If she was to choose a husband, her selection would have ramifications for generations. Elsa did not take the decision lightly.

Staring at all the faces of her Council, Elsa suddenly felt very trapped - as trapped as the fateful night of her coronation. Before ice could manifest on the walls, she squeaked out, "Excuse me," and rapidly departed from the room. Frowning, Kit followed her.

Once they were out in the hallway and around the corner, Elsa fell into his arms. "Oh, Kit, what are we going to do?"

She waited for his soothing words, that had always eased her spirits and had helped her along the way into falling in love with him. But resting her head on his chest, Elsa felt Kit's throat wobble.

"I will draw up a list of eligible suitors at once, Your Majesty."

Elsa stared up into his face, shocked and hurt. "You would give up your Queen? What happened to _'I serve you because I love you?'_"

Kit could barely look her in the eye. "My duty is to my Queen. My love..." Elsa leaned closer, on pins and needles over what he might say next - even if it sent a proverbial dagger through her heart. But Kit didn't clarify what he meant, instead kissing her forehead and walking away, leaving Elsa adrift in her own misery.

* * *

A fuming Princess Anna stood in front of the private office for the Queen's personal valet. It had been difficult enough to restrain herself when Kristoff had come home from ice harvesting last week and stiltedly told her that he had witnessed her sister having sex with her personal manservant in the stablehouse hay stall. And after today, when a distraught Elsa had burst into the nursery in tears (nearly waking Joanie up from her nap) and could only get out the name "Kit!" when Anna had tried to comfort her and ask what happened...

Well. Anna wouldn't stand by any longer. She knocked purposefully.

"Come in," Kit's voice called. And come in Anna did, the door banging behind her. At his desk, Kit raised his eyes to Anna, his face dipping warily upon recognizing the look in the Princess's eyes. "Your Highness. To what do I owe -"

"Do you love my sister?"

Kit blinked. "Beg pardon, milady?"

"Are you in love with my sister?" Anna repeated slowly. "And did you or did you not make love to her in the stablehouse?"

Kit dropped the quill he was holding, agog. "How...?"

Ah. So Kristoff _had_ seen what he thought he saw. Anna wasn't about to give her husband up, however, no matter how much Kit might demand it. For if Elsa got wind that she had been seen doing the dirty deed by none other than her brother-in-law... Anna shuddered to think of it. A wife such as herself knew as well as anyone that the lives of consenting adults were meant to be private; besides, Kristoff didn't mean to peek - it had been an accident.

_No, stay focused, Anna_, she told herself. "Your Princess just asked you a question, servant." _Well, multiple questions_. "So, answer it." She inwardly cringed at her own regal voice. Ordering people around was something she was rarely comfortable with. But desperate times called for extreme measures.

Kit rose unsteadily to his feet and circled the desk. He visibly gulped as he willed himself to meet the eyes of the Princess, who looked every bit like the Sister Bear she was presenting herself as.

"Your Highness... I love Her Majesty more than life itself. It would be treason against the kingdom to keep my vow... but to renounce that vow would be an even greater treason against my heart. I am in agony, Highness. I don't know what to do - only that I want to be at Elsa's side."

Anna leaned back slightly, her eyes widening. She had to admit, she was impressed. Kit had always been an eloquent fellow - she recalled the toast he had given in Joan's name the night she was born ("They shall write songs about this night!" he had said). And his words now were particularly moving. In his own way, he was admitting to having hurt Elsa's feelings - perhaps without meaning to. But more importantly, he was saying he was sorry. Her eyes grew misty, and it was an effort to not let the tears fall.

"I wish she had more people like you. When she was growing up. She didn't have me, sadly... but I'm glad she had you. That she _has_ you," she corrected herself. She smiled shakily. "You have my blessing and approval, Mr. Kit. My sister is not so easily wooed, and if she grieves for you so... she must love you a lot."

Kit wanted to beg the Princess for more information, or better yet ask where Elsa was so he could soothe her. But more shocking still was the fact that he had just received the Princess's permission to court her sister - and he hadn't even been seeking it! This was small comfort, though, and he told Anna so.

"It is not your approval and blessing I must have, Your Highness. It is the Council's."


	5. Chapter 4: Everyone Gets Their Wish

**Chapter 4: Everyone Gets Their Wish**

When Elsa went to bed that night, she was tormented by the day's events. And then she got mad: at sleep for refusing to come, at the Council and its obtuseness. At Kit... well, not so much at Kit. He had probably been just scared, as she replayed their private conversation over in her mind.

By the time the sun rose, Elsa had made up her mind. Calling for Kai, she ordered that a Council meeting be convened in the Treaty Room as soon as possible.

Some of the Council members still looked half-awake when they gathered, especially this early in the morning. But none of them looked as bad as her valet, Kit. He looked like he had slept as little as Elsa had - which was to say, not at all. Had he been thinking of her?

Taking a deep breath, Elsa rose to address the Council. "I have considered what we discussed yesterday, gentlemen. And I find you to be correct - I must choose a husband. In fact, I have already made my choice."

The Council looked most surprised. Whispers abounded. Had the Queen been in secret correspondence with suitors? Love letters, perhaps? The Prime Minister looked elated, his eyes hopeful. "How wonderful, Your Majesty! And who, pray tell, is the lucky man?"

But Elsa didn't answer the question, at least not directly. Fixing Kit with a loving stare and hopeful smile, she announced, "I choose you."

Kit's mouth dropped open, blushing beet red as the Council went into an uproar.

"Unprecedented!"

"Outrageous!"

"One royal marrying a commoner was enough!"

Elsa maintained her regal facade. "My sister got to marry her heart's desire. I intend to follow her example."

The Secretary of War scoffed. "Then we shall rue the day that you ever thawed her heart! I will not allow the throne to be usurped by some measly servant!"

Rage. Hot, steaming rage gathered behind Elsa's eyes. The wish to see Anna dead, frozen forever, was insolent enough. Elsa was NOT prepared to let that go. But for him to say such a thing about her Kit... Elsa saw red.

If Kit could have ducked behind a table, a chair, anything, he would have. But that would have given the Secretary advanced warning. And no warning could save him.

The Secretary had barely gotten to his feet before they were frozen to the ground. And the ice only rose up his body from there. It covered the rest of him in record time, cutting off his scream.

* * *

Everyone present in the room would have been forgiven if they thought Elsa had frozen herself along with her Secretary of War. From her wide eyes, now darting about, she suddenly appeared 21 years old again, a freshly minted Queen. Like she had learned nothing.

The Prime Minister broke the silence. "The Queen must abdicate the throne. If she is to pursue relations with this man... she must abdicate the throne."

Elsa sighed. "Then I am no longer the Queen of Arendelle." No more would she prioritize her throne over her heart. Anna would make a fine successor. And she would have Joan as her heir, to care for and teach.

Kit was the first person to spring into action. "GUARDS! Bar the doors! Do not let anyone from this Council leave!" Then he grabbed Elsa's hand. "Come on!" And he dragged her into the hallway as the doors were closing. In front of a tapestry, he spun to face her. "No," he growled. "You are _not_ releasing your throne for me."

"I will if it's true love! And I think I just did."

"Elsa, they will never accept me! Queens don't marry valets."

Elsa's eyes narrowed. "This one does!" she snarled. And then she practically attacked him, launching herself into his arms and kissing him. She was overcome with relief when she felt Kit kiss her back without resistance. Her eyes pricked with tears, and she wound herself about him tighter, keeping him closer still.

"I love you!" she whispered against his lips, her voice strangely hoarse, and she felt Kit trembling as he encircled her. And it struck Elsa with the force of a gale wind that Kit's fear came from a place of love, too. However misguided, he was trying to protect Elsa and what he thought were her best interests... because he wanted her to succeed. Just as much as Elsa wanted him to succeed.

Make no mistake about it - love was funny. And if this wasn't love, Elsa didn't know what was.

A sudden clearing of the throat made Elsa and Kit jump apart, their arms still about each other. The entire Council had somehow gotten past the guards and were now staring at the couple as though they had never seen the Queen and her valet before. One Secretary in particular stood in the middle of the group. _Shivering_, and with a blanket over him.

"My god," the Prime Minister breathed. "Her Majesty is in love."

Elsa smiled almost sheepishly, blushing.

"Just so," the Secretary of State concurred. "The thaw doesn't lie."

_Thaw?_ Elsa thought, bewildered. Had... had her love for Kit really managed to thaw the frozen Secretary all the way in the next room? Apparently so.

"I say to Your Majesty... arrange the marriage," the Secretary of the Treasury smiled nervously. "You will have the full support and power of the Council behind you."

Kit gaped. Elsa's breath hitched and her eyes swam. "Thank you." She stood there, swaying for a moment before remembering herself. "Um... dismissed, gentlemen." And the Council took their leave.

Gazing at each other, Elsa and Kit embraced and shared a long, relieved kiss. "I love you," Elsa murmured.

Beaming, Kit kissed her again. "I know. I love you too. I'm... sorry I didn't fight harder for you."

Elsa just smiled. "You're forgiven. We love each other. Nothing else matters." A pause and then: "Will you marry me, Kit?"

Another kiss was his answer. "Yes."

They held each other in the silence of that hallway, just enjoying being together. Until Elsa remembered there was one more thing her fiancé needed to know.

"Kit?"

"Yes, my darling?"

"... I'm pregnant."

* * *

"God bless Mommy and Daddy and Sven and Olaf. God bless Kai and Gerda and all the servants in the castle. God bless Marshmallow and Grand Pabbie and all the trolls. Amen."

"Amen," Kristoff echoed with an amused smile.

From the crack in the doorway, Elsa watched as her niece said her prayers before bedtime, Kristoff kneeling by her side before her bed. Joan rose to her feet, then suddenly genuflected again, apparently forgetting a petition. Elsa quietly giggled.

"Oh, yes - and please bless Auntie Elsa and Mr. Kit! And please give Auntie a baby!"

Kristoff blinked. Unseen by him or his daughter, Elsa gasped. "A baby? Where did you get a wish like that, Joanie?"

Joan shrugged as she climbed under the coverlet her father pulled down for her. "So I can have a little cousin to play with. And besides, Daddy - Arendelle needs a succ... success..."

"Successor, sweetheart," Kristoff finished for her.

"Yeah, that!" Joan latched on. "Because I'm just the spare."

Kristoff nearly tripped over the coverlet. "What? Who told you that?"

Joan suddenly looked guilty. "I... heard some servants whispering about it in the kitchens. It's true, isn't it? I'm not next in line. I'm a mistake..."

"Now that is _quite_ enough!" Elsa found her voice through the throat that was threatening to clog up, striding into the nursery. Sitting down on the edge of the mattress, she gently took her niece's hands in her own. "You, Joanie, are not a spare. You are not a mistake... do you hear me?" Her voice cracked at the end, and tears threatened to invade. A nervous Joan could only nod, irises wide.

Elsa continued, lacing their fingers together. "Fate gave you to your mommy and daddy for a reason. This family has already seen so much sadness. But Fate smiled down on us, and gave you to Mommy... to me..." She nearly lost it right there, but plastered a smile on her.

"Joanie?"

"Yes?"

"Auntie has a secret to tell you, but you cannot tell Mommy and Daddy until she is sure, because..." and Elsa leaned close so she could whisper in the little girl's ear. "You, my dear Princess Joan, just may get your wish."

Drawing back, she could see from the way Joan's eyes danced that she had gotten the message, loud and clear. Elsa beamed, winked, and pressed a kiss to Joan's forehead. "Good night, my sweet."

And she glided gently from the nursery - the nursery that might house her own baby one day.

* * *

The royal wedding was the biggest event Arendelle had seen in close to a decade. Bigger than the Princess's wedding, bigger than even the birth of the little Princess Joan.

Queen Elsa was the most beautiful bride, escorted by a teary Princess Anna and gliding gracefully down the aisle in a white dress that clearly accentuated her swelling stomach. She was clearly expecting, and the announcement of her pregnancy had sent the kingdom into a delirious tizzy. The baby, when it was born, was to be named Annabelle... Anna had cried for nearly a day when her sister had told her she was going to be an aunt, and that the future Queen would share her name.

Elsa and Kit exchanged rings and vows. The Holy Man blessed them, and upon pronouncing them husband and wife, Kit took Elsa in his arms with a triumphant, grateful smile.

"My Queen."

Elsa smiled lovingly back. "My Kit." He would be her King, but he would always be her Kit first.

Then, her husband bent and kissed her, and Elsa had no more doubts. There was only Kit, and the scent of the dying roses in the chapel around them, in the gardens below. And as Elsa and Kit embraced and kissed, fireworks were sent peeling into the gloriously sunny sky...


End file.
